The present invention relates to means for cutting and maintaining in separate segments various parts of an edible assembly such as a cake or pie and, more particularly, pies such as lemon meringue and chocolate. This category includes rather sticky or gooey cakes, pies, and pastries.
The prior art in the present area has shown the use of templates or, as they are generally known, pastry cutting guides which, for example, are characterized by U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,671 (1919) to Fairbank. Devices of the class of Fairbank have, over the years, been generally utilized in order to provide a means for cutting pies, cakes, pastries, or other foods, in radially symmetric and segmented fashion which, thereby, is both aesthetically pleasing and provides for equal segments of each piece as, generally, is necessary in restaurants and other areas.
Additionally, pie cutting means adapted for radially disposed incisions in a pie, in combination with a pie-cutting plate, have appeared in such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 2,605,547 (1952) to Tweeten. Tweeten, while clearly related to the present invention, does not, as is often desired in the baking and pastry goods field, provide for a simple and effective means for maintaining the separation between respectively cut radial segments and, concurrently, maintaining a "sealed in" freshness to the individual pieces during packaging and shipment followed by a period of shelf time. Additionally, it is noted that the invention to Tweeten, as in the case of others of its nature, presents a sanitation problem in that upon each cut by the cutting gauge, foreign material from and upon the gauge or knife may be imparted to the pie and, in like fashion, material from the pie may be imparted to the cutting blade. Also, the sharpness of the cut will become impaired as a build-up of comestible material on the blade occurs.
In view of the above shortcomings in the prior art, it is to be appreciated that an object of the present invention is to provide a "clean release" means for the cutting of a gummous comestible into a plurality of segments.
A further object is to provide a sanitary means of cutting such gummous comestible.
A still further object is to provide a convenient method for maintaining in separated segments the "sealed in goodness" of baked goods under conditions of packaging, shipment, and an extended shelf life.
It is to be appreciated that other objects will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth description of the invention.